


Woman in Doubt

by thisgirlnani



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I JUST REALLY LOVE THEM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 16:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11718375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisgirlnani/pseuds/thisgirlnani
Summary: Daenerys thinks Jon Snow to be a cold, sullen man. That all changes when she sees him reunite with his sister, the Lady of Winterfell.A look at Jon and Sansa's relationship through Dany's eyes.





	Woman in Doubt

When Daenerys finally arrives in the North, she finds Winterfell sorely disappointing.

It’s dark, looming towers surrounded by black trees and ice give an aura of unforgiving chill and rigidness. When she says as much to Jon Snow, he gives her a short bark of laughter. “Yes, your Grace, it is so different from the warmth and comfort of Dragonstone, wouldn’t you say?”

To her side, Tyrion attempts (and then fails) to muffle a snicker and she shoots him a dark glare.

Yes, it’s true the ruins of Dragonstone, haunted by ghosts of the past are no better than Winterfell’s stone walls. She only meant that with the way Jon Snow had been speaking of the North with near worship in his eyes and voice for the past few weeks, she expected a lush castle full of life that would inspire such devotion from an unusually cold and sullen man.

Even now, as they approach the walls, Jon Snow looks up at the towers with a hint of a smile on his lips. A smile! She had begun to worry his range of emotions only consisted of sullen anger and melancholy brooding. The ‘King’ in the North unnerves her, to say the least. He is steadfast in his opinion that the North should remain independent, and any attempts (whether subtle or overt) to sway him are useless. Any man would have fallen for either her charms or been cowed by her dragons, by now, but not Jon Snow, and it has left her at a loss. He has such an unwavering devotion to House Stark and their place in the North, one would think he was a trueborn son, and not a bastard.

Daenerys has heard bits and pieces of the Starks through stilted conversations between Jon and Tyrion. She herself, has enquired about them before, but he is always reluctant to divulge information.

Tyrion had told her, House Stark had their own share fair of tragedies, and only Jon and one trueborn daughter remained. Rickon was the youngest and he and his elder brother Bran, a cripple, were killed years ago.There was Arya, Jon’s favorite, she surmised, as he spoke of her the most fondly. But, she too, had met a tragic end by the Lannister’s hands.Robb Stark and his mother had died attempting to avenge their family. Sansa Stark was the lone survivor of her family, but Jon spoke the least of her. Tyrion surmised this was because the siblings privately warred behind their united front as King in the North and Lady of Winterfell. Varys had agreed, It’s only reasonable to assume, Your Grace, he had said, Sansa Stark is the trueborn daughter of Eddard Stark, yet her bastard brother was crowned. I can only imagine there is a deep bitterness within the girl.

If that was so, Daenerys couldn’t help but sympathize with Sansa Stark. If she had a bastard brother and he had assumed the Iron Throne ahead of her, only because he had a cock in between his thighs, she would set Drogon on him in a heartbeat. 

Daenerys is intrigued by the Lady of Winterfell, an unknown figure, she has yet to meet. Perhaps the key to obtaining the North is not with Jon Snow, but with Sansa Stark, and the rift between the two half-siblings. She thinks herself rather crafty, and tucks that thought away. It is something she will have to explore at the castle, when she finally meets the Lady of Winterfell.

When they come to the gates of Winterfell, the posted soldiers recognize their King immediately and snap to attention.

“Your Grace,” the man stammers, “We did not expect you for another week.” There were no ravens sent to Winterfell, in their haste to make it up North. News of the ever-weakening wall, and pressure from Cersei’s army had all but forced Daenerys and Jon to make a hasty retreat.

“Aye, please wake and inform Lady Sansa of my arrival.” Jon says wearily, rubbing at the stubble on his chin. “Tell her, I come with Queen Daenerys and Lord Tyrion.”

One of the soldiers, makes haste to deliver the news, while the other soldiers pale at their king’s words and their eyes harden as they finally see Daenerys underneath her heavy furs. She can practically see the anger crawling underneath their skin. Tyrion had warned her, of course. The North remembers. 

The gates of Winterfell open, and Jon dismounts his horse to lead it in. Daenerys is struck once more by how at ease the King is, now that he is at home. On the other hand, Daenerys has never felt so uncomfortable or out of place as she has in Winterfell.

Her finery, which she wore as a means of intimidation and as a display of confidence, is hidden behind a coarse fur cloak, she had no choice but to wear in the biting cold. Her dragons, which she had agreed to keep away from Winterfell, per Jon Snow’s insistence, provide her with no means of defense or empowerment. Even her usual retinue of advisors and soldiers are absent and the realization of how vulnerable she is within the cold walls of this castle sends a flare of panic through her.

Tyrion somehow senses her panic and he pulls his horse next to hers as they enter into the castle courtyard. “Do not fret, Your Grace.” he murmurs. “The Northerners love their king. Jon Snow says no harm will come to us, and they will do as he says.”

And Tyrion, is once again right. She sees the look of adoration upon both servants and soldiers alike for their king. Jon greets his subjects with a firm nod, there is no demand for fealty for it is freely given to him. Doubt gnaws at her insides, and the grey Stark banners hanging from the walls are a burning reminder that she is a foreigner, a stranger, in this territory. 

“Jon!”

Daenerys only sees a flash of flaming red hair before Jon is embraced by a woman, nearly knocking him off his balance. The woman is taller than him, but he easily returns the embrace, nearly lifting her a couple inches off the ground with a slight chuckle. The familiarity with which the two greet each other, can only mean that this woman is-

“Sansa,” The King breathes. His eyes crinkle as he freely gives a smile to his half-sister, the famed Lady of Winterfell.

She is not at all what Daenerys had imagined her to be. Somehow, she pictured Sansa Stark to be a small woman with Jon’s dark curls and solemn expression. Tyrion only mentioned her to be the embodiment of absolute grace and a perfect lady. However, the woman in front of her belies that very description. A silk robe peeks out of her thick fur coat, haphazardly thrown on, no doubt, when she heard the news of her brother’s arrival. Her fiery hair whips around her face, free from the constraints of the traditional Northern style, so many of the women here favor. 

Dany realizes with a start that she has caught Sansa Stark in a moment of vulnerability, a rare moment where she has shed her title of ‘Lady of Winterfell and right now is only a sister, overjoyed to see her brother. Even that, however, seems like an oversimplification. There is something deeper lurking there.

Jon begins to enquire of Sansa’s well-being, Winterfell’s state, and other inane chatter that fades away to a dull hum. It is not what is said, that is important, but rather their actions. Tyrion and Varys had believed their united front to be a facade, but they could not have been more wrong. From the way, Lady Stark hurriedly calls for a warm bath to be drawn for Jon, to how Jon quickly drops a kiss atop his sister’s head to thank her for doing so, it’s all so genuine. Suddenly, she’s years younger, and she can hear Viserys’ harsh threats to punish her. Her throat feels thick, and jealousy unfurls in her stomach. 

“Your grace?” Tyrion’s voice nudges at her, and brings her out of her reverie with a start.

She realizes now, that the Starks have finished greeting each other, and now look at her, expectantly. Her cheeks burn, “Yes?”

Jon Snow clears his throat, “This is my sister, Princess of Winterfell, Sansa Stark.”

The princess gives a perfect curtsey, as though she were wearing a gown spun of gold, and not her night clothes. Her beautiful features smooth into a practiced, genial expression. “It is quite the honor to meet you, Queen Daenerys. I hope my brother, King Jon, has been good company. He is an excellent ruler and fighter, but a poor conversationalist, I’m afraid.” 

Daenerys is thrown by her teasing tone, but Lady Stark’s words are not completely harmless and vapid. She has addressed Daenerys by her proper title, but also made sure to emphasize her brother’s as well. In addition, she’s managed to show their united front and her faith in her brother’s abilities without appearing boastful. In just a few sentences, Sansa Stark has made it clear, she is anything but a vapid woman, if anything, she is the reason Jon Snow stands as King.

“He was fine company.” She replied, shortly. “I hope you have not been too overwhelmed in your brother’s absence, acting as his regent.”

“I sorely missed him.” Lady Stark, replies sweetly. “I’m afraid the nuances of politics and court handlings are often lost on me.” 

Daenerys’ eyes narrow. She doubts this very much. Tyrion clear his throat, “Lady Sansa, I trust you are well?”

She nods warmly. “Yes, I’m glad to see you using your abilities in a more deserving role. It seems our time away from King’s Landing has been kind to the both of us.” Her eyes widened as she remembered something. “Ah! My apologies, you must be so cold, Brienne can show you to the Great Hall, a meal will be prepared very shortly for you. Your rooms are being prepared as we speak right now, I hope you’ll forgive the wait.”

“Will you be joining us?” Tyrion asks.

Lady Stark shakes her head, “I have some matters I would like to attend to with the King. In his absence, he has missed much.” 

Daenerys’ violet eyes flick over to Jon Snow, who cannot hide his relief. “If you’ll excuse us.” he nods, before taking his sister’s arm, and the two depart. A deep sense of dread settles in her stomach as she watches their retreating figures. When all is said and done, she fears the Starks may be her greatest obstacle to uniting the Seven Kingdoms.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed. I'm sorry, I just keep starting jonsa fics, but I love them so much, that I just have so many plot bunnies running around. Leave a kudos or comment if you liked it! <3


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